Rosas continues rise, Barcelos stretchered out of Octagon

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 26: (L-R) Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos of Brazil trade punches in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on September 26, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Raul Rosas Jr. stopped Raoni Barcelos in the fifth round of an action-packed UFC Fight Night main event Saturday, winning the bantamweight bout by knockout at the 1:38 mark.

The finish came without a clear strike, and Barcelos was stretchered out of the Octagon after receiving medical attention. He was transported to a Las Vegas hospital, where he underwent a CT scan. He was conscious with the ability to move his fingers, toes, and body, and had the ability to speak as he awaited the CT scan results, according to Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani.

"I want everybody tonight, please pray for Raoni Barcelos," Rosas said in his postfight interview. "Man, he's a warrior. It takes two to tango."

Barcelos won Rounds 2-4 on all three judges' scorecards, putting him in prime position to win the fight entering the fifth.

Rosas and Barcelos went back and forth over the first four rounds at a pace that resembled last week's flyweight championship bout between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja.

Barcelos threatened to submit Rosas in the fourth round after taking his counterpart's back and grabbing his neck, but couldn't tighten his squeeze enough to force a tap. Still, he did enough to win the round comfortably and he even earned a 10-8 score from judge Chris Lee.

Rosas, who's less than two weeks shy of his 22nd birthday, is now 13-1 as a pro. He strayed from his grappling-heavy approach in this one, showcasing far more striking than he had in any of his previous UFC fights while both inflicting and incurring major damage.

Barcelos, 39, had his five-fight winning streak snapped.

XRedditFacebookWhatsAppEmailSMS

More Stories